


New Courage

by Mismatchedsocks01 (orphan_account)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Minor Violence, Not Beta Read, Requited Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-02 07:06:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19194094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Mismatchedsocks01
Summary: Steve and Thor have been skirting round something for a while. But now Steve's missing.One thing's for sure, Thor's not going to let it stay that way.





	New Courage

Lights flashed on screen as six faces stared spellbound at the images, caught up in the story unfolding. It wasn’t often that all the Avengers managed to be in the Tower at once, what between companies and conferences, missions and royal duties, so when they did all get together in the peace time they liked to do something a bit calmer.

Nat and Clint were currently stretched out like bookends at either end of the main couch, bowls of popcorn in each of their laps and drinks on the table in front of them. Bruce was curled up in an armchair, snuggled under a blanket and looking more peaceful than most had ever seen him. Tony was sprawled across a couch of his own, slumped and tired but still engrossed in the film. The final couch was the same size as the others, but looked considerably smaller housing both Steve and Thor’s large bulks, their sides pressed together.

As the film carried on, everyone’s attention waned, Bruce falling asleep in his little cocoon of warmth. Clint and Natasha had long since taking up watching their friends as much as the film, lazily throwing popcorn at each other and at Tony, who was trying – and failing – to catch it in his mouth.

Thor and Steve were both heading the same way as Bruce, eyes heavy and bodies slumping even closer together. Thor’s arm fell onto Steve’s shoulders from the back of the couch, nudging Steve’s body towards Thor’s own. In their dozing states, both subconsciously curled towards the heat of the other, bodies nestling together. Steve’s head rested on Thor’s chest, cheek lazily rubbing the soft fabric of his jumper as Thor’s strong arms kept him held in a warm embrace. Thor’s head finally came to rest with his face buried in Steve’s hair, thoroughly oblivious to the looks and nudges being shared between their friends.

“Well isn’t that cosy?” Tony remarked, crunching a caught piece of popcorn. “Like a little puppy pile.”

“Do you think they know?” Clint asked.

“If either of them realised, I don’t think they’d still be so comfortable together. Neither would want to feel like they were taking advantage of the other’s closeness.”

Natasha’s reply drowned out Tony’s glib “Know what?” and prompted a sigh from Clint, who opened his mouth to speak.

Before he could form the words however, the film still playing reached its climax, music swelling, reaching a crescendo and crashing through the room. Bruce startled awake with a jolt, staring around startled for a moment before taking in the sight before him and relaxing back into the chair. He quirked an eyebrow at the pair on the couch, who had also been interrupted but the sound, but seemed relatively unconcerned, Thor nuzzling his nose into Steve’s hair and taking deep, steady breaths, while Steve squirmed a little, twisting in Thor’s arms and tucking his nose into Thor’s neck.

At this, their friends couldn’t help but chuckle. They soon realised their error when Steve, who had been resettling on the cusp of sleep, suddenly stiffened, every muscle shifting and tensing under his shirt. Thor, sensing the change in his companion, also shifted, head lifting and eyes cracking open enough to see Steve’s face just below his own. Their eyes connecting, a faint pink tinge began to spread across Steve’s cheeks as neither could break the gaze.

For all either knew, it could have been mere seconds or centuries before yet another chuckle broke their rapt focus on one another. Once more becoming aware of their friends around them, the two broke eye contact. Now avoiding each other’s gaze with almost studious precision, they moved away from each other. A strange, awkward tension now filled the air and Steve’s cheeks heated further, his face seeming almost sunburnt as he excused himself to go to bed and rushed from the room.

Thor’s eyes traced his back even as he left.

***

The following day saw the Avengers, minus Thor and Steve, hidden away in an unused office space on one of the less frequented Tower floors. Bruce sat off to one side, waiting for Natasha to start talking, while Tony and Clint nursed cups of coffee like they held the secrets of the universe.

“So,” Natasha began, waiting until she had everyone’s attention to continue, “I’ve been trying to set Steve up for months, with, though I hate to admit it, very little success. But after last night’s performance, we need a plan- how are we going to get Thor and Steve to get their heads out of their asses and talk out this tension like grown-ups?”

“And you brought Clint and Tony here to discuss how to get people to act like adults?” Bruce questioned.

“That’s a fair point, and exactly why you’re here, Doctor” Natasha replied, talking over Tony and Clint’s disgruntled ‘Hey!’s as though she hadn’t heard them. “They’re here for meddling purposes, and so they aren’t trying to do something themselves that could interrupt our plans. You’re here for common sense.”

“Well as long as we’re clear on that then.” Bruce smiled wryly.

 “So, I take it after yesterday that Capsicle and Point Break have an urge to bone then? Have to say, I wouldn’t have thought that of Cap; always seemed more like a roses and sonnets sort of guy, you know? Are we sure he even knows how to use those parts? The one’s for a pants party?” Tony interjected, mouth moving a mile a minute.

Before anyone could process what had been said, never mind respond, the door slammed into the door with a booming crash and everyone jumped into fight positions, alert and on edge. From where he’d appeared in the doorway, Thor took no notice of their surprise, voice wavering and eyes darting between them as he broke his news.

“Steven’s been taken.”

 ***

A stony silence shrouded the meeting room as each Avenger stared almost blankly at the screen, unable to look away yet not truly seeing the video playing. The air felt thick, choking, despite the fresh spring weather outside, and the usually warm lights seemed sickly, the occupants sallow and jaundiced in their shock.

To begin with, no-one had quite believed Thor’s outburst. Steve had left that morning on his run, as he did every day, and he wasn’t due back for another half an hour at least. Surely Thor was mistaken? Yet as they watched this video, saw, as Thor had, Steve surrounded by these men in lab coats and tac gear, cutting him open, bleeding him dry, they realised there was no mistake. Steve had been taken. And Steve was in trouble.

Thor sat to one side, eyes averted from the screen as the clip was played again in the hopes of spotting details that would help them find their missing member. He knew that what he felt for Steven was more than the usual comradeship of warriors, of brothers-in-arms, knew that neither Fandral nor Clint, nor any of his other fellow shield-brothers had caused this feeling of fluttering in his stomach with just a look, this prickling, electric feeling to caress his skin like summoned lightning with just a brush of hands.

And still, he couldn’t help but feel that none of this had truly sunk in until he saw Steven face such indignity, hurt in such a way that made Thor want to tear apart the Realms with his bare hands, cleanse them with lightning and rain until no trace of these scum and their evil remained. The storms would gentle in the face of Steven and his beauty and his pain of course, softening to wash clean his injuries, to protect and comfort him, to caress him as Thor so longed to do.

Thor was broken out of his trance by Natasha voice, soft but firm. “How did you say you got this again, Thor?”

“I left the Tower to go for a walk. While returning, a man in a hood and glasses walked up and gave me this. He said that I had to watch this, or something terrible would happen to the Captain. He left before I could ask him more, vanished into the crowd. I did not believe him, but didn’t want to test the Norns, and so I had your JARVIS play the disc, Stark. This was what I saw, and so I found you all.”

The group seemed to consider this for a moment, before Tony broke the silence that threatened to settle once again. “J, can you track where Thor was on his walk? And bring up the feeds from, what, half an hour ago, on any cameras in the area?” The video feeds appeared on the screen in front of them. “Thor, can you see anything that matches with when you saw the guy?”

Thor’s sharp eyes scanned the images, desperate to find something that would help to find Steven. A blob of grey paused next to a Thor on the screen. “There! I wasn’t just in that area, that’s the guy that gave me the disc!”

“JARVIS, can you follow that guy and pull up all available feeds. See where he goes, and try to get a clear visual on his face.” It was Natasha’s voice that broke through the silence this time.

The images on the screen shifted, and the seconds stretched to infinity as they waited for results.  A sudden beeping sounded followed by the smooth tones of the AI’s voice. “I have identified the man in question, Agent Romanoff, and have run his face through several databases. James Clark is a low level lab assistant at Hammer Tech, with a background in bio-engineering. He disappears from the camera feeds after a few blocks, but I was able to pick up the trail as of ten minutes ago. Sir, he appears to have entered the old SHIELD-owned office block on Madison.”

“Those offices have been empty since SHIELD was dismantled,” Natasha filled in.

 “There were several sub-levels, if someone wanted somewhere central but still secluded to set up a base of operations,” Clint chimed in, “You’ve had the most dealings with Hammer, Stark, do you think he’s involved? Or is his guy just freelancing?”

“As many workers as there were in the video? I’d say there’s definitely involvement on Hammer’s part. He’s very much the vindictive, petty revenge type.  J, did you say that guy had a bio-engineering background? Are you guys thinking what I’m thinking? Petty revenge type he may be, but Hammer’s also a businessman. I wouldn’t put it past him to get back at us, well me, and try to get something he could sell out of it as well.”

“Are you saying they might be cutting Steve for a reason? To get blood? Do you think they’re trying to get the serum?” Bruce butted in, eyes shifting between them, rubbing his palms against the outsides of his thighs as he began to tense.

“Cuts for the pain, blood for a purpose,” muttered Clint.

“And the video as a taunt – Hammer’s always been arrogant.”

“If we’re right on this, we’ve got to act now. We should all suit up. Clint, grab extra first aid things, I have a feeling we’ll need them. Meet at the quinjet in five. We’ll land on the roof, go down through the stairs, and take out anyone on the higher levels. Tony, you and Thor go straight through the front door, use the surprise to your advantage. Doc, you wait on the jet. We’ll need you once we get Cap out. We clear?” Natasha paused, surveying the group in front of her. “Thor, you clear?”

Thor had been silent since identifying their main lead. Every second Steven was out of his sight with these madmen hurt him as though he was the one being cut, open and raw. “Clear.”

 ***

Steve had been jogging his usual route, revelling in the cool air and the fresh scent that followed a god day’s rain, when he’d heard voices in an alley just ahead. First, both were low and harsh, clearly arguing, but as he approached one took a distinct turn for the distressed. Instincts kicking in, Steve moved to investigate, heading down the alley. He never saw the source of the voices. He was too busy falling to his knees as a burning sensation started at his shoulder, then spread all down his right side. He had only a moment to contemplate its similarity, though higher effectiveness, to Nat’s Widow Bites before a blow to his face turned his world dark.

Voices, as if underwater. Lights. A searing pain in his side. The cloying metallic tang of blood. An oddly sweet taste coating his tongue, the air honey-thick and choking. A quick, sharp pain in his elbow. Darkness.

A soft, voice whispering his name, a gentle shadow cast between his eyes and the harsh light source. Careful hands easing him against a solid frame, strong yet hesitant as they cradled him. The sweet smell of his run, a soothing scent of petrichor, only stronger now, wrapping around him as if a caress. 

Thor.

_Home_.

Steve let himself relax back out of consciousness.

 ***

Thor paced the Tower’s medical bay like a caged animal, all tense muscles and deadly grace. Steven had been in and out of consciousness since they’d found him, body burning through the remains of whatever they’d dosed him with. While Clint and Natasha dealt with the incarceration of those responsible, and Tony and Bruce examined what had been found to ensure Steve would suffer from no long-lasting damage, Thor had elected to remain at Steven’s side.

Now he was fully aware of his feelings, he couldn’t seem to escape them. Holding Steven in his arms, even under such terrible circumstances, had felt so right that Thor wasn’t sure how he was supposed to go without experiencing it again. Steven’s warm body, with both its firm, lean muscles and gentle curves, had fit so neatly within Thor’s embrace, like two pieces of a jigsaw slotting neatly together to create a new, beautiful image.

Thor knew he was going to have to talk to Steve. After today, how could he bear to hold his feelings within himself when at any moment Steve could be lost to him, to them all? Thor knew Steven wouldn’t reciprocate, but he also knew he would not be spurned, cast out of his friend’s affections for having fallen for him.

Slumping into the chair beside Steve’s bed, he found his hand drawn to Steven’s, fingers running absentmindedly over the skin there, caressing each finger, each join in turn. Sighing, Thor intertwined their fingers and sunk further into his seat to continue his wait.

 ***

As Steve became aware of his surroundings, the firm mattress beneath his back, soft sheets covering him, the sharp tang of disinfectant that he had become so used to in his youth, he was surprised to feel someone else’s presence beside him, someone else’s hand pressed against his own. Blinking awake, bleary-eyed, he saw Thor asleep in the visitor’s chair. His chin was tucked against his chest as he curled forward in sleep, a wave of golden hair covering half of his face from view.

Steve didn’t remember much of the day, but the memory of being cradled against that broad chest, that feeling of being safe, surrounded, protected lingered at the edges of his mind. Steve had long been aware that Thor was gorgeous, all strength and hard planes of muscles, but so tender, so openly affectionate with those he held dear. He had also long been aware that Thor was everything he could want in a partner. But Thor was off limits. He was a team mate and, based on his previous relationship with Jane, straight, as well as completely out of Steve’s league. Hell, he was so out of Steve’s league they were barely playing the same sport.

Still, Steve couldn’t deny the thrill that ran through him at Thor’s hand holding his own, the tingling that sparked at what seemed like every nerve end in his body. Nor could he deny the way his heart stumbled in his chest as it hadn’t since he received the serum as Thor shifted and slowly awakened, face sleep-lined but brightening as he caught sight of Steve’s open eyes.

“Steven!” he cried, squeezing at the hand in his before releasing it to run a hand through his hair. Steve mourned the loss. “You are awake! Are you feeling well? Do you need me to get the doctor?”

“No, Thor, I don’t need the doctor. I’m not sure what happened, but I’m feeling okay. I sure am glad to see you though.” He added bashfully, eyes flitting away from Thor only to return and hold his gaze.

“I must confess I am pleased, Steven. You had me worried,” Thor looked away, not sure if this was the right time to broach the subject but bolstered by Steve’s welcoming tone, “I found myself at something of a loss with you not here by my side. If I am honest, Steven, which I think I have to be now, your absence made me think on some things that have been plaguing my thoughts for a while.”

Concerned now at how Thor’s brow furrowed and shoulders hunched as he spoke, Steve replied “You know you can tell me anything Thor, I’m always here for you, but you don’t _have_ to. If you aren’t comfortable talking about this right now, wait until you are.”

“I fear Steven, that if I don’t speak now I will lose my nerve. What I mean to tell you is that, I have found myself eagerly awaiting seeing you next, missing you when you are not there, feeling things that are less than platonic. I know you will not feel the same, but I’m in love with you Steven, and I need to tell you, even if just so it’s out there.”

Steve was astounded, breaths coming heavily through his opened mouth. Here was Thor, telling him everything he longed to hear, had thought impossible. Here was Thor, reciprocating Steve’s feelings, but not speaking out of the very same belief that they wouldn’t be returned. Wait, believing that they wouldn’t be returned?

“Thor,” Steve started, voice cracking as his eyes watered, “I love you too. I’m in love with you too. Oh god, but I am.”

“Steven?” Thor questioned, hope creeping into his voice and eyes lifting from where they’d dropped to stare at where his fingers toyed with the edge of the sheets. “Do you really mean it?”

“Mean it? Oh, love, I don’t think I’ve ever meant anything more.”

The skin beside Thor’s eyes began to crease as a smile stole over his face until he was beaming, brimming over with joy. Steven felt it too! “Can I kiss you? Would that be okay?”

Steve returned Thor’s beam with a joyous grin of his own. “Okay? That’d be perfect.”

Thor leant forward to meet Steve, their lips brushing gently. A breath, and then their lips press more firmly against each other as they explore each other’s mouths, skating the edge between new wonder and new passion. A clear statement of intent.

Lost as they were in each other’s blissful gaze, neither noticed the figure smiling softly at them from the doorway before slipping away.


End file.
